Paige Bueckers Reveals What Drives Her Toward WNBA Greatness (Exclusive)

The WNBA’s Paige Bueckers is just heating up. 

Whether she’s on the Dallas Wings’ home court or staring down an away-game crowd, Bueckers’ unwavering focus has been nothing but net—and part of what helped earn her Rookie of the Year honors. 

But maintaining a high level of focus—both on and off the court—takes time and intention.

“It’s been a process of learning how to stop caring about other people’s opinions,” the 24-year-old explained in an exclusive interview with USA Network, the future home of the WNBA in May 2026. “For every 500 people that love you, five are going to hate you no matter what. You just have to run your own race. Don’t look left, don’t look right.”

Her biggest tool? Staying inbounds and present.

“Being where my feet are helps me maximize the moment,” she added. “It keeps me from stressing about the future and lets me stay super focused.”

As her WNBA profile rises, her Unrivaled investment grows, and her influence beyond the hardwood climbs, Bueckers says her motivation comes from passion, community, and faith.

“My joy for what I do, the people around me, and my faith—they all drive me,” she said. “When others invest in you, you want to make their belief in you pay off.”

With changes to the Dallas Wings organization, including new head coach José Fernandez, Bueckers is feeling energized and ready to tip off the new WNBA season.

“We built a strong foundation last year,” she shared. “There was a lot of new last season, and there will be new this year too, but figuring it out together makes it exciting.”

Also helping her fast break next season: a new set of wheels.

After all, the athlete has teamed up with CarMax, the official auto retailer of the NBA and WNBA, for a three-year deal, joining Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell in the brand’s “Wanna Drive?” campaign,

“I’ve watched Sabrina Ionescu, Sue Bird, Chiney Ogwumike, A’ja Wilson—so many W players get national commercials with CarMax,” she said. “To grow up watching that, and for the next generation to grow up watching that, it was always going to be a yes for me.”

And for that generation watching, here’s her assist.

“Embrace the hard,” she shared. “With social media, all kids see are the highlights. But to get to success, you have to face failure. Adversity comes in different forms – injury, losses, setbacks. You can either let adversity beat you or you can beat it. There’s beauty on the other side.”

And with a new season ahead, Bueckers is doing exactly that: Staying present, staying driven, and keeping her journey in forward motion.